Jan 27 2010
Dips unite partygoers but some divide the sexes
Dip unites people around the Super Bowl party table, but don't be surprised if women line up behind one dip and men a different one.
Yes, that's right. There's his dip and her dip.
His dip tends to include descriptions ending in the same letter as the male sex chromosome. Cheesy, meaty, gooey.
Her dip skews toward lighter in texture and calories, brimming with vegetables or sweet.
"If someone has a big cheesy dip with chorizo in it, most women would take a taste and go 'Yum,' and analyze the fat calories, where men would think it's amazing and dig in," said Diane Morgan, author of the bestselling "Delicious Dips" (Chronicle Books, $16.95, 124 pages).
Morgan, whose follow-up cookbook "Skinny Dips" debuts this fall, said she really noticed the dip divide while testing and serving a recipe for a lightened-up Green Goddess dip.
"There was universal acclaim among the women, but it probably seemed a little grassy to the guys," she said.
One dip ingredient tends to bridge the gender gap, however: artichokes.
"That's definitely a crossover," Morgan said.
Aaron Holliday agrees.
Holliday, owner of Dude Food, a guy-food focused catering business in Sacramento, has created a warm artichoke and roasted red pepper dip that marries the masses.
"It's just jack cheese, roasted red peppers and artichokes, but it's really successful," he said.
The nation has been enamored with dips ever since the early 1950s, when sour cream was mixed with dry Lipton onion soup to make California dip.
Gender aside, we love dips because of what they allow us to do – indulge.
"We are a society that enjoys indulgences and dips are yummy," Bruhn said. "If you let yourself go entirely, you dip chips into those wonderful creamy sauces. … If you are health-conscious, you feel like you have an excuse to eat it because you're using vegetables as your conveyor.
"We like them because they taste good."
Artichoke and roasted red pepper dip
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 10
This recipe is courtesy of Aaron Holliday, owner of Dude Food, a Sacramento-based catering business, dudefood.biz
INGREDIENTS
One 16-ounce brick of Monterey jack cheese, cubed
One 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly sliced
One 13.75-ounce can of quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
5 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Fresh bread or pita chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a oven-proof dish and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until bubbly. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top and return to oven for another 2 minutes.
Serve with chunks of fresh bread or pita chips.
Per serving: 209 cal.; 14 g pro.; 7 g carb.; 14 g fat (9 sat., 4 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 41 mg chol.; 685 mg sod.; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 61 percent calories from fat
Faux five-layer dip
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves 8 to 10
Recipe by Niesha Lofing.
Note: Use a glass serving bowl or dish to show off the layers in this sweet dip, which resembles five-layer bean dip when finished. Yields enough for two bowls of dip or one square baking dish.
INGREDIENTS
One 18-ounce jar pre-stirred creamy peanut butter (such as Jif Natural)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
One 7.5-ounce container crème fraîche
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 container Smucker's Caramel Sundae Syrup, for drizzling
Fresh mint, for garnish
Almond biscotti or cookies and apples slices, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Empty the peanut butter into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Spoon the peanut butter into the bottom of an 8-by-8-inch square dish or two glass bowls, being sure to spread it evenly and flatten any peaks.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the peanut butter, covering completely in an even layer.
Place the raspberries in a food processor and blitz until just chopped. Stop the processor and add the jam. Pulse until it just comes together, about 10 seconds. Spoon the raspberry purée evenly over the chocolate chips.
In a clean bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the crème fraîche, sugar and vanilla until just thickened, about 2 minutes. The consistency should resemble whipped topping. Spoon the whipped crème fraîche over the raspberry purée, being careful not to let the two mix as you smooth it out. Be sure to cover the other layers all the way to the edge of the dish.
Drizzle the caramel syrup over the crème fraîche and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Serve with apple slices, biscotti or cookies.
Refrigerate if not serving immediately.
Per serving based on 10 servings: 525 cal.; 15 g pro.; 46 g carb.; 35 g fat (11 sat., 16 monounsat., 8 polyunsat.); 10 mg chol.; 310 mg sod.; 5 g fiber; 36 g sugar; 57 percent calories from fat.
Easy chocolate dip
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe by Niesha Lofing
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Cool-Whip whipped topping, thawed
3 tablespoons Nutella
Fresh fruit and biscotti, for dipping
INSTRUCTIONS
In the chilled bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat Cool-Whip and Nutella on high for 3 minutes, until smooth and slightly fluffy. Pour into a bowl and chill for 10 minutes before serving alongside strawberries, sliced bananas or biscotti.
Pumpkin dip
Prep time: 5 minutes
Makes 4 cups
Carol Dyer of Elk Grove took home third place for this sweet dip recipe in the 2009 Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin and Harvest Festival.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups canned pumpkin
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups powdered sugar
Gingersnaps or sugar cookies
INSTRUCTIONS
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine pumpkin, cream cheese, cinnamon and ground ginger. Beat until well blended. Add sugar and beat until smooth.
Serve dip with gingersnaps or sugar cookies.
Per 1/4 cup: 208 cal.; 3 g pro.; 28 g carb.; 10 g fat (6 sat., 3 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 31 mg chol.; 85 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 25 g sugar; 42 percent calories from fat.
Artichoke-garlic spinach dip
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves 16 (2-tablespoon servings)
Recipe courtesy of Smart Balance.
INGREDIENTS
Smart Balance Cooking Spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
One 13.75-ounce can quartered artichokes, packed in water, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 cup Smart Balance Sour Cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Smart Balance Omega Plus Light Mayonnaise
INSTRUCTIONS
Coat a large nonstick skillet with Smart Balance cooking spray, place over medium heat until hot. Cook the onions 3 minutes or until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the spinach, artichokes, oregano and Smart Balance sour cream. Stir until well blended. Remove from heat.
Add the cheese and Smart Balance Omega Plus Mayonnaise and stir until well blended. Serve warm or chilled.
Per serving: 52 cal.; 3 g pro.; 5 g carb.; 2 g fat (1 sat., 1 monounsat., 0 polyunsat.); 4 mg chol.; 232 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 43 percent calories from fat.
Blue cheese dip with chives
Prep time: 5 minutes Makes 1½ cups dip
This recipe is from "Delicious Dips" by Diane Morgan (Chronicle Books, $16.95, 124 pages).
Note: Morgan's favorite blue cheeses to use for this recipe are Point Reyes Blue and Maytag Blue.
This dip can be prepared up to three days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator 45 minutes before serving. Serve the dip at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper
Crudités; bruschetta; crostini; pita chips; bagel chips; vegetable chips, for dipping
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together the blue cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in the chives and add a few grinds of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.
Per 1/4 cup: 167 cal.; 5 g pro.; 1 g carb.; 15 g fat (7 sat., 3 monounsat., 1 polyunsat., 4 other); 28 mg chol.; 369 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 85 percent calories from fat.
Cherry Garcia Takes a Dip
Prep time: 10 minutes
Makes 4 cups
This recipe is from "Delicious Dips" by Diane Morgan and courtesy of Chronicle Books.
Note: The prep time does not include the 20 minutes to soften ice cream at room temperature. This dip can be prepared two days in advance. Cover and refreeze. Soften 20 minutes before serving.
INGREDIENTS
2 pints Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as Valrhona or Scharffen Berger, cut into small chunks
3 tablespoons Kirsch
Double-chocolate chunk brownie chips; heart-shaped apple- cinnamon tortilla chips; sweet wonton crisps; toasted pound cake crisps; strawberries; chocolate wafer cookies; graham crackers, for dipping
INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow to soften for 20 minutes. Scoop the ice cream into a medium bowl and add the chocolate chunks and Kirsch. Stir to make it creamy and diplike. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
Per 1/4 cup: 160 cal.; 2 g pro.; 18 g carb.; 10 g fat (6 sat., 0 monounsat., 0 polyunsat., 0 other); 40 mg chol.; 32 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 51 percent calories from fat.
Chorizo chile con queso dip
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 4 cups
This recipe is from "Delicious Dips" by Diane Morgan (Chronicle Books, $16.95, 124 pages).
Note: This dip can be prepared one day in advance. Allow the mixture to cool, transfer it to a covered container, and refrigerate. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat and then transfer to a fondue pot for serving.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
1/4 pound bulk pork chorizo
1/2 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 poblano chilies, roasted and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, drained and diced
2 tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
Tortilla chips, crusty bread cut into 1-inch cubes, potato chips, pita chips, for dipping
INSTRUCTIONS
In a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the chorizo and sauté, stirring constantly and using the side of a spatula to break up the chunks, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, chiles, and tomatoes, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low and add both cheeses, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and stir until heated through.
Transfer to a fondue pot set over an alcohol or sterno flame to keep warm. Serve immediately.
Per 1/4 cup: 184 cal.; 9 g pro.; 2 g carb.; 15 g fat (8 sat., 6 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 46 mg chol.; 271 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 76 percent calories from fat.
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